title: [Microbiological condition of bottled natural mineral waters, drinking water, as well as water from mineral springs].
abstract: We are now in the midst of a critical discussion on the microbiological quality of bottled natural mineral water, springwater, so-called "table water" and drinking water. "Still" waters have high colony counts after long storage, whereas in carbonated bottled products multiplication of oligocarbophilic microorganisms is suppressed by carbon dioxide. Opportunistic species are also found in bottled water. Present knowledge as to whether they are contaminants or part of autochthonous flora is insufficient. Highly colonised foodstuffs and opportunistic species may be hazardous for immunosuppressed patients. Hence, it is claimed that existing legal microbiological criteria for bottled water are inadequate. High colony counts in foodstuffs do not necessarily imply poor microbiological quality a priori. Detection of an opportunist species does not justify classifying a food item as hazardous. Microbiological criteria for bottled water which are laid down in the Directive for Mineral and Table Water of the German Food Legislation Act (LMBG) were established based on recommendations by international microbiologists for the normal not oversensitive consumer. For more sensitive groups of consumers, for example babies, more severe criteria were set up. Immunosuppressed patients are another sensitive group, demanding special hygienic requirements for their surroundings. If the risk of infections for immunosuppressed patients cannot be reduced by other means, it might be useful to establish microbiological criteria for bottled water and of course for other foodstuffs as well. However, such criteria cannot be adequately applied to food for normal consumption, since otherwise many foods would have to be regarded as hazardous and could not be marketed because of legal prescriptions.
authors.affiliation: Staatliches Medizinal-, Lebensmittel- und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt Mittelhessen, Giessen.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stelz
mesh_terms: D004326:Drinking; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008900:Mineral Waters; D014871:Water Microbiology; D014873:Water Pollutants; D014876:Water Pollution; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D008900:Mineral Waters; D014873:Water Pollutants
vernacular_title: Zur mikrobiologischen Beschaffenheit von abgefülltem natürlichen Mineral-, Trink-, Tafel- und Quellwasser.